Good Things Come to Those Who Wait
by Glistening Sun
Summary: New Year's Eve is here and Andy is ready to pick up Sharon for their night out - or will it be a date? An episode tag to 3x16 but mostly continuing the storyline from 'Anger, Hurt and Disappointment', 'Making Amends' and 'Letter in a Box'.
1. Good Things

**1/4**

* * *

It was New Year's Eve and I had spent all day getting ready for tonight. The plans for the evening were all in place, I had the tickets and had planned the route. I had my hair cut and was as clean-shaven as I could ever be. I wanted to look my best and I also needed something to do with myself because the more the day dragged on, the more restless I became.

Tonight was going to be the night. Well, at least I hoped it would be. _Our first real date._ I hadn't been looking forward to New Year's Eve this much since the year my cousin Denny had promised to teach me how to make firecrackers.

I should probably never tell Sharon about that – she wouldn't appreciate illicit fireworks and much less being compared to them – but the excitement was the same. Almost, anyway, the prospect of an evening spent in her company was far more exciting – even if it might be just as friends.

/

I received a text message from Sharon on Christmas morning. I'm sure everyone else must have still been asleep because it was very early and her kids weren't exactly five anymore when they would wake up in anticipation to look for the presents in their stockings. But apparently Mama Raydor was already up and she had read my letter and knew about my invitation to a New Year's Eve date.

I imagined her sitting beside the Christmas tree with a cup of tea, still in her pyjamas or maybe she was cooking breakfast for her kids making last minute preparations without makeup and her hair undone …

… maybe I would kiss her and …

Time to stop daydreaming!

I had only ever seen Sharon without make-up once – the night Weller tried to kill Rusty. After Provenza had picked up Rusty I had gone upstairs telling patrol I needed to check in with my captain. What I had really meant was that I needed to check in with my friend Sharon. I had spent the night on her couch while she slept, or at least tried to sleep.

At some point I had opened my eyes to her standing in the living room looking lost and frightened. I had never seen her like that and when I called her name, she turned and just walked towards me. I moved to make space for her on the couch, but she sat down so close our thighs were touching. She looked tired and exhausted, but even in all the pain, I remember being stuck by how beautiful she was. This was a side of Sharon I hadn't seen before, so natural, much more vulnerable and fragile than at work or even at our dinners, which had become a very regular occurrence at the time.

… maybe she might still be in bed at this early hour reading my letter and …

No, I couldn't picture Sharon in bed without becoming unduly excited.

… maybe still curled up under her silk sheets … Sharon would have silk sheets, cream or lavender …

I shook my head and hesitated before I swiped my finger to read her full message.

Now or never, the moment of truth was here.

'_My dear Andy, thank you for the invitation. I'd love to spend New Year's Eve with you - very much looking forward to it. S.'_

Or maybe not.

Who knew Sharon could be so sneaky? I could just imagine the expression on her face as she was typing this out, how she would tilt her head and hum quietly, 'I'd love to spent New Year's Eve with you.'

We weren't calling it a date, but we were also not calling it not a date. At least me asking her for a date hadn't made her run away. That _had_ to be a good sign.

/

I tried to find out what exactly she meant, but back at work Sharon acted just like she had before Christmas. We worked well together and when she didn't object to me calling her Sharon in front of our suspect, my heart made a little happy jump.

"Annie, her name is Annie," she corrected Morales and I could have walked right up to her and kissed her.

I didn't do that, obviously, but I leaned in as close as I dared when we were walking back from the morgue, "You remembered."

She gave me one of her most dazzling smiles. "Like I said, your habits are brushing off on me, and not just the bad ones, it seems."

"Geez, woman, you sure know how to phrase a compliment."

"Oh dear, were you looking for validation? Lieutenant, thank you for teaching me how to be a good homicide detective."

"Aw, come on, that's not enough! I am sure you can find a better way to say thank you. You know, like, go out with me on a real date."

"I _am_ going out with you, Andy – at least if your invitation for New Year's Eve still stands."

"You never said what it's going to be."

"No, I never did, did I?" and with a last tilt of her head and another one of those smiles, she stepped into the opening elevator, greeting the group of officers already inside.

"Lieutenant, will you join me now or do you still have some unfinished business down here?"

Well, Captain, I certainly have some unfinished business with you, I thought as I stood there marvelling at her easy conversation with the other officers. Only four years ago, the lift would have gone quiet upon her getting on. Needless to say I never got an answer to my question.

/

In the days following her message, I had spent a lot of time thinking about her, about us and about what I wanted.

Whatever would happen, I was glad we were back to being friends. I had had a taste of what not being friends with Sharon was like in the days between Nicole's visit at work and the Nutcracker. My life felt empty without her, she left a gaping hole that I had no idea how to fill. I missed the easy conversations, the laughter, the intimacy of her soft touch on my arm. More than anything, I wanted to keep that friendship and that closeness. I wanted Sharon in my life. I needed her. Of course, being able to hold her at night and wake up to see her smile in the mornings, that would be the best, but if that wasn't possible, I wanted her as my friend. I would be content with dinners, and movies and all the things we had been doing over the past year or so. I just knew that I couldn't loose her.

Being in the same chain of command would certainly be a major issue for Sharon and while I would be perfectly happy to just ignore the rules, this was not something the former head of IA would ever be prepared to do. I actually had to ask a friend to help me out and even though I had sworn him to secrecy, it somehow got back to Provenza.

"I am hurt, Flynn. You go tell Officer Martin about your girlfriend, but not me?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about. I don't have any girlfriend."

"Well, whatever you are calling that thing with the Captain."

"The Captain and I don't have _a thing_."

"Of course you don't which is why you were able to answer my question about Patrice so quickly the other day."

"Yeah? Maybe I'm just that good."

"Good to enough not to worry about your future even though you disappointed some people in the past?"

"I was trying to be a supportive friend."

"And I am trying to be a supportive friend now, because if the guy who hasn't looked at the rulebook since his Academy Days is now researching LAPD policy on fraternisation, I know something is up. You might be kidding yourself, Flynn, but you are not kidding me."

/

Standing in front of her door, I was suddenly nervous. I felt shy and insecure and my hands were sweaty. I hadn't felt like this in years, decades to be exact. Not since I had picked up Joanne at her parents house that faithful night so many years ago.

I straightened my tie and made sure my shoes were clean, adjusted the paper around the flowers so I could present them to her properly. Then my eye was caught on the small piece Christmas decoration just above her door.

Mistletoe.

Was that a sign?

My heart was beating faster now.

Mistletoe.

Our first date.

Except, I didn't even know whether this was a date.

But I wasn't going to find out by just standing here, so I put my finger on the bell and gingerly pushed. I heard the familiar ring from behind the door and then …

Her voice!


	2. Come to Those

**2/4**

* * *

"Just a moment."

I heard the sound of her footsteps, a chain being moved and a key turning in the lock before the door was opened and I could finally see Sharon. And what a sight she was!

"Andy, come on in," she invited me with a smile and a little wave, stepping back to make room for me.

But I couldn't come in. It was as though my legs had lost all ability to move. All I could do was look and barely remember to breathe. They call it breathtaking for a reason. The dress - red lace, cut much lower than I'd ever seen her wear before and stopping well above her knee showing off those legs I could never keep my eyes off anyway. God, what a sight. I would certainly be in the company of the most beautiful lady of the room tonight. There was no doubt about that.

"Andy?"

Flowers, I remembered that I had brought her flowers and I trust out my arm.

"Those are for you."

I wasn't only as nervous as a teenager picking up his prom date, I was behaving just as awkwardly while Sharon was ever the perfect hostess.

"Thank you, Andy," she said as she took the flowers from me. Red lilies. I hadn't had the courage to buy her red roses, but I figured the combination between red and her favourite flowers would tell her how I felt. "Those are so beautiful. Would you like to come in while I find them a vase?"

Sharon turned around and nearly gave me a heart attack. That slit and the heels, those legs again! I took a deep steadying breath and walked in making sure to close the door behind me. She couldn't be wearing that kind of dress on a night out with a friend. She had never worn anything that … revealing to any of our non-dates before.

Suddenly she was at my side again with her coat draped over her arm. "We've had so many dinners together, Andy, yet tonight feels rather different, doesn't it?"

"I think I like the difference. This is going to be our last dinner for this year."

"It's also our first dinner of the new year and maybe the first of many more to come."

She had said it herself, tonight felt different, warmer, more intimate, more hopeful. I had finally put my cards on the table, finally told her all and she was still here, waiting to greet the New Year with me in the sexiest dress I'd ever seen her in – and she still looked every bit her classy self. Emboldened by that and by her smile I leaned in to kiss her cheek. "I'd like that very much."

"Me, too, Andy," she smiled back and held out her coat so I could help her into it. Her hair was also different tonight, she had pulled it all together and it fell forward over one shoulder exposing a part of her neck. All I could think of was to move my lips over her porcelain skin to kiss every single freckle and ... no, no time for daydreaming when she was right here with me waiting to go out.

"Shall we?" I finally managed to say and offered her my arm.

Another smile through her eyelashes, green eyes sparkling happily, "We shall."

/

Sharon had once told me how much she had hated those flashy New Year's parties Jack had taken her to in Vegas years ago and how, even as a child, she had always been more afraid of fireworks rather than enjoyed them. I was glad I knew, because I actually rather liked some fireworks, but I wanted tonight to be about _her_, I wanted it to be special for _her_. So I had decided on a small resort tucked away in the hills that offered a nice view over the city but none of the noise and, more importantly, dancing. Because whatever would happen tonight, I wanted to dance with Sharon like we had at Nic's wedding. It was also a fairly remote spot so we could be almost sure nobody would recognise us.

I hadn't told Sharon where we were going and she kept guessing throughout the drive, but when we finally pulled up to the resort, her eyes widened in pleasure and she touched my hand.

"What a special place you've found for us, Andy."

For _us_, I thought, she said for _us_. "Wait until we're inside."

I had managed to reserve a table at the bay windows overlooking the city and the ocean in the back. When I walked into the festively decorated restaurant with Sharon at my arm I felt like the luckiest man on earth. I could tell right away that she loved the place – the joy on her face and the excitement in her voice when she noticed the dancefloor.

"Andy, this is perfect! Such a beautiful location!" she gushed and squeezed my arm.

"A beautiful location for a beautiful lady."

I hadn't expected her to react quite the way she did. I figured she might just smile and politely ignore my compliment, but instead she found my eyes and looked right into them,

"Thank you, Andy. Thank you for making tonight so special for us."

Suddenly, I was the one lost for words. For _us_, she said, special for _us_.

Throughout the dinner I simply couldn't take my eyes of her. The conversation flowed as easily as it always had, but it had a different edge to it. Sharon was clearly flirting with me. Her hand touched my arm and she let it linger for much longer than she ever had, then running her fingers over mine and intertwining them she smiled paying me compliments. I was mesmerised by the movements of her hands, the red of her nails matching perfectly with that of her dress. She was breathtaking and I had already told her she was beautiful, but the longer the evening went on, the more she seemed to shine.

"It was your idea, wasn't it? The Christmas party at the office?"

"I'd love to take credit for that, but it really was Ricky's. He called me and then we arranged it together. I think we both know how much you like to celebrate your occasions."

"It was Christmas!"

She had no idea just how adorable and cute I found her enthusiasm for Christmas, that she could still get so excited about decorations and I was about to tell her when I noticed her obvious amusement.

"What?" I asked, gently running my thumb over hers.

"Oh, it's just that Ricky and Rusty both told me a rather different story. They said it was all _your_ idea."

"Believe me, it was Ricky who called me."

That seemed to amuse her even more. "You know, I think they might have been trying to set us up." She mimicked Rusty's voice, "Sharon, don't you think it's sweet that Andy went through all that trouble and brought Christmas to you? I wonder whether that's something he does for all his friends."

"He didn't!"

"Oh, he absolutely did."

"Well, it seems like you have raised him well. You know, he's pretty observant, your youngest."

"Benefit of having been raised in a police station," she quipped, but then she became serious. "Rusty is very observant, Andy, and maybe he wasn't all that mistaken in what he saw."

"No?"

Sharon reached over the table to cup my cheek and my whole body became alive with the spark of her feathery touch. If only I could have held onto this moment for the rest of my life! Her eyes didn't leave mine and when she smiled and her touch turned into a caress, I leaned into it savouring the moment. I closed my eyes so I could remember this feeling and when she still didn't pull away her hand, I placed a soft kiss on the inside of her wrist.

"I think Rusty might have seen something before I was quite ready for it, Andy, and I know I still owe you an answer - would now be a good time to talk about that?"


	3. Who Wait

**3/4**

* * *

It took me a moment to fully understand what she had said and when I opened my eyes, she was still looking at me with a soft, warm expression and an emotion I had only ever seen glimpses of so far.

So this was it, the moment was finally here when she would tell me how she saw our future. Suddenly, I became very calm because this was a conversation we should have had months ago and maybe, just maybe we'd be starting the New Year with a new outlook on life. Maybe we would go through life together, as lovers rather than friends, or at least as potential lovers.

"Tonight is for you, Sharon, and the choice is yours. Would you like to talk now?"

Sharon nodded and took a deep breath. It surprised me to see that she also seemed nervous. Why on earth should she be nervous? All she had to say was simple yes, or a no – but with her, the one who had to think everything through to the smallest detail, nothing was ever quite that simple and that is part of what I like to much about her. She isn't the type to say yes, but mean something else. Once she commits to something, she is all in, for richer for poorer, for better for worse. I had seen it in how long she clung to her marriage with Jack. She isn't the type to give up on people easily. I'm actually another example of that, with the many chances she gave me during her long tenure in IA.

My cheek felt cold when she moved her hand and let it run down the length of my arm instead until her fingers wrapped around mine with gentle pressure.

"I do want to talk now, Andy. You know, I've always said I'm a married woman and that's what I kept telling myself. I've never let myself look beyond that – and I realise that I should have. The truth is, I am no longer married now, not on paper and I haven't been in my heart for a long time. I realised something that night we attended the Nutcracker. I was angry with you and I was hurt."

I opened my mouth to speak but before I could say anything, she shook her head.

"You don't need to apologize again, Andy. You have and I have forgiven you, we have moved on. But I felt something else that night: I felt disappointment. Disappointment because that night maybe for the first time I realised just how much I had come to like you and how much more than a friend you had become to me. I've used my marriage as a shield in the past and it's had its uses, but I haven't been _completely_ blind to where our friendship was headed, Andy. I have actually thought about what it would be like to really date you, to be more than just your friend Sharon, particularly once I was divorced. Of course I have and part of why it hurt so much was that I feared we would never have a chance at this now, never have a chance at dating, at being a couple."

'Aw Sharon, my Sharon - how I long to reach out and pull you into my arms, kiss away the tears that are about to fall from your beautiful eyes, tell you not to cry…'

But she shook her head almost as if she had been reading my mind, "No, please let me continue, Andy. I've planned what I wanted to say to you, and I'm not finished yet. Andy, I am so grateful you found a way to get through to me. I had buried myself so deeply in my anger, and in the hurt, I think your letter was the only way to help me out of there. _You _reached out to me, and _you_ found a way for us to be friends again. I've never really said thank you for that."

Thank you? How could _she_ be thanking me after all that?

"Sharon, there is no need to thank me. I broke it, I needed to fix it."

"No, you _need_ to know how much that means to me, Andy. I know I'm not the easiest person when I close myself up like that. I can be cold and distant - but you knew how to get through to me. Believe me, there haven't been many people in my life who know how to do that and I am so, so grateful you knew. I want you to know that, Andy."

She chuckled self-consciously, "Look at me, I've been talking and talking and I still haven't answered your question."

As far as I was concerned, she could have talked all evening and I could have listened to her and watched her wonderfully expressive face.

"Take your time, Sharon," I said, and then, because she hadn't yet turned me down and that had to mean something, "I think I like where this is going."

"Oh, gosh, I hope you do!" squeezing my hand for emphasis.

"Because in the end, my answer is really quite simple: What I feel for you is so much more than friendship, Andy, and if you still want to, I'd really like tonight to be a date."

'Aw Sharon, my Sharon, you use so many words and complicated sentences for something so simple, and yet, this is exactly you, the woman I have fallen so hard for. Well spoken, considerate, measured, never saying anything you haven't thought through. Oh sweetheart, and now you are sitting across from me with that hopeful smile and you almost seem unsure of yourself.'

"You have no idea how happy that makes me! I'd love to date you, Sharon, really date you, with flowers and dinners and late night phonecalls and secret letters. Everything."

Happy smiles and happy giggles from both of us, her eyes so full of wonder and joy – so I gently disentangled my hands from hers, placing a quick kiss on her knuckles first, to pour her a glass of wine and propose a toast.

"To dating."

"To us!"

"To us," I repeated in wonder as the clear sound of crystal glasses meeting rang through the air.

This time, I was the one to caress her cheek, just briefly, before taking her hands in mine, "You are no longer a married woman and you are out with me on our very first date, but there is one more point to discuss, isn't there?"

The radiant woman across from me, my date, tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.

* * *

Author's Note: Yay! Andy finally got his answer and our two lovebirds can at last date for real! But what else could Andy want to discuss? Sharon will give us her own account in the next (and final) chapter of this little fic.

On a very personal note: With this chapter I have now published over 100,000 words. I'm still quite blown away by the sheer number, but even more so by all your wonderful comments and your support here. Thank you for inspiring me to write!


	4. Happy New Year, my Darling

**4/4**

* * *

"There is one more point to discuss, isn't there?"

To say I was surprised would have been the understatement of the year. There I was sitting across from Andy at a beautifully decorated table in this wonderful little place far above the city, his hands warm around mine and we had just made the biggest decision I certainly had made in years. I know that I had taken my time in answering his question, and I certainly hadn't expected that he would be the one to bring up the one point we knew would hurt.

"I wish there wasn't, Andy."

"But there is."

This whole situation seemed to unreal, here I was with my Lieutenant, holding hands and gazing at him with all kinds of thoughts that certainly weren't proper for a workplace relationship – and my dear hothead and habitual rulebreaker Andy Flynn was the one to bring up the rules - with me, Sharon Raydor, accomplished former Captain of FID and author of said rule. What a way to wrap up this year!

"Andy Flynn," I started, putting my confusion into words, "are you really the one bringing up the rules now?"

His responding smile gave me goosebumps and made me wonder what it would feel like to kiss these lips.

"If I hadn't, you would have and … well, I asked you on a date, so I figured I would be the one to destroy the mood…"

I could feel how his hands closed more tightly around mine like he didn't want to let go and to be honest, nor did I.

"You are not destroying the mood, Andy. Not at all – it's not like I didn't know."

"I've…I've actually been doing some research and some thinking."

"You have? On the LAPD manual?" Andy? Reading the manual? That certainly was unheard of and I was incredibly touched that he would do that – for me. The easy way would have been just to ask me and leave the rules up to the one in this relationship who actually cared about them - me. But apparently, Andy didn't think so.

I slipped my fingers underneath his cuff caressing his soft skin, "You know I wrote that particular passage of the manual, don't you?"

He laughed, "It sounded a lot like you. I assume you would want to report us, our, well, can I say our relationship?"

Andy looked at me and he looked so unsure. It was odd to see, he had been so open about his feelings ever since he had written me that first letter. Now that I had said yes, and in my heart I had said yes to far more than just dating, his boldness was gone. I smiled and emphatically nodded my head. Yes, our relationship.

"Well, you would have to report our relationship to Taylor and then he'd get to decide what to do with us, right?"

"Pretty much. Andy, but I do have some leeway in when I report us and to be honest, what I am worried about is not so much reporting us or Taylor's decision. I … well, I have certain ways of steering how the cards will fall and …"

Yes, and? Because, really, Taylor's decision was the least of my worries. I meant what I said. It seemed like those around us already assumed we had been dating for quite a while. Actually, according to Provenza everyone but Amy seemed to think so, so it didn't exactly have a negative impact on the squad and we were too efficient for Taylor to consider breaking us up. As long as Major Crimes would continue to make him good look, we would in all likelihood be fine. I could handle Taylor any day, but I wasn't sure I could handle _me, _me and my feelings for Andy.

"Yeah?" Andy looked at me patiently but also confused and only then did I realise that I had been thinking rather than talking out loud.

"What I'm saying is I don't think we need to be too concerned about Taylor. I know how to handle him – don't worry about that."

"Okay, if you say so. That's good news."

"Yes."

"You still seem pretty worried to me, Sharon."

I took a deep breath and sat up a bit straighter tightening my hold on Andy's hands.

"I send all of you out into dangerous, potentially life threatening situations every day and you go because it's your job," I started, quoting the words Lieutenant Provenza had said to me after Amy got hurt a couple of years ago.

"But I'm having a hard time sending you out, Andy. I do, and I try to treat you as one of the team, but I am loosing my objectivity - fast. To be honest, I think I might have already lost it… I can't, Andy, I just can't. I can't be both. I can't be with you, and be your commanding officer. Every time I send you out I know it could be the last time I see you. I know, it's your job, it's our jobs and it's what we signed up for. But I know myself well enough to know once we cross that line, the last bit of objectivity I've been hanging on to concerning you will fly out the window. Once we cross that line, and I am saying once not if, because I do want to, I want you - but Andy, once that happens, I can't be your commanding officer anymore. I can't be the one responsible for sending you into these situations. I can't wake up in your arms one morning and then tell you to hunt down a dangerous suspect not knowing whether you'll be back. I'm not cut out for that, I'm not made like that."

My hands were shaking despite the tight hold I had on Andy's and I could feel myself tearing up just at the idea of something happening to him and me being responsible for it. Oh my, what had I done? I had poured out my heart to him and all he had done was to ask me on a date. A date! Not to move in together or get married. A date. Good Lord and I had to talk about spending the night in his arms with my eyes all teary?

"Sharon?" Andy's voice was so tentative and he looked so worried.

"I'm sorry, Andy, I didn't mean to spoil our first date."

"You didn't spoil anything," Andy's large hand found its way to my shoulder, squeezing it gently. I could feel his warmth through the thin fabric of my dress, the comfort of him touching me.

"Why don't we go somewhere a bit more quiet to talk about this?"

Quiet, here at the resort? But Andy was already by my side and held out his hand for me to get up. Ever the perfect gentleman he picked up my wrap, placed it around my shoulders and led me out of the room. We walked up the staircase until we came to some rather impressive looking doors. The room behind them was dark and empty with large windows at the back and Andy steered us through the semi-darkness until we were right at those windows. The view of the nighttime sky and stars was breathtaking, as breathtaking as the presence of him, so close to me, with noone else around.

"I feel incredibly insensitive now, Sharon – I've just never thought about our situation from your point of view and believe me, if our roles were reversed, God, Sharon, it would kill me. I couldn't do what you do for a single day. I couldn't send you into danger."

What had I done? Our first date and now we were both upset! I could feel Andy shaking and the next thing I knew, I was in his arms. I will never forget just how perfect it felt – despite being so upset. His strong warm arms wrapped around me, holding me close and shielding me from the world outside, my arms around his middle, my cheek resting against his chest. I felt safe and incredibly excited at the same time. He smelled so good and I could feel his heart beating a fast rhythm, upset at the mere idea of sending me into danger.

Then I noticed his hold on me loosening and for a moment I was disappointed until one hand came up to ever so gently caress my cheek and then, he kissed me. Well, he kissed the top of my head but it felt incredibly intimate and so right.

"I'm sorry I brought up the topic – I ruined our evening."

"Oh Andy, no, you haven't ruined anything. It's not your fault this affects me so much."

"You're human, sweetheart, and you're incredibly warm and caring. Of course this would affect you."

For the first time tonight I felt myself blushing at the intimacy of the moment, at being called sweetheart.

"I like sweetheart." So much, just what would I call him?

"Good, because I've been calling you that in my mind for a good long time now!"

Just like that, Andy had lightened the mood and I heard myself giggling merrily.

Andy kissed my hair again, "I thought Taylor would probably ask one of us to leave Major Crimes and I was thinking, that could be me."

Andy leaving? That would solve the issue of being in the same chain of command, but at what cost? I didn't want him to do that.

"Before you say something, Sharon, just hear me out, okay? I've actually been thinking about this - I'm the one who asked you out, remember? I wanted to be prepared. I could start looking around for other positions and make it known that I'm looking to transfer out of Major Crimes."

"Andy, that is such a big step – for me? You would do that for me?"

"For us. Sharon, I love my job and I love working with Major Crimes, but being given the choice between you as my captain and the possibility of you as … the woman by my side, the choice is easy. I want you. I want us. I'm not going to be in the LAPD forever and the day I retire is probably closer than I'd like – there is an expiration date on my career – but our relationship…"

"Is young still."

"And yet I see so much potential – and I am willing to build on that."

"Oh Andy! Yes, I think we do have a lot of potential. But still, we are only just starting out. That's a big decision to make so early on. What if we don't work out?"

"Sharon, I am not meaning to be presumptuous, and I am not taking our relationship for granted, please don't think I do. But we are friends, we have been such good friends and I really, really believe we can make this work. That's all I need. I want to give us a chance Sharon and I'm willing to do everything I can for us to work out."

Even in the dim light from outside I could see the intensity in his gaze. I could feel it in the way he held me with the same passion that fuelled his anger, the same passion that had once been directed against me, that very same passion now included and encompassed me. A passion so powerful and intense, I could almost grasp it with my hands.

"This doesn't feel like a first date, Andy," I said softly and tightened my arms around him. "We might have called it that, but it looks like we are starting something much deeper than dating today."

Andy nodded and kept his gaze on me, unwavering.

"But I still don't feel comfortable with the idea of you having to give up your job."

"Then let me make you a deal. Let's be together and see how our relationship develops. You said yourself you don't need to tell Taylor right away and I'm sure you know that everyone around us already thinks we're dating. We'll keep talking about how you feel being my commanding officer and about our relationship and when we are ready, I'll put in the transfer request."

"But why does it have to be you? I could be the one to transfer."

"No, Sharon. I don't want you to." I had never heard that tone of voice before. It sounded suspiciously like an order, one I wasn't allowed to object to.

"No, because I've thought about it and I want to be the one to make that step. I could give you objective reasons like there being more positions available for Lieutenants than Captains, me being closer to retirement age and having spent longer in Major Crimes and it being time for a transfer anyway. But I don't want to see this objectively. Just take this as my way of making it up to you."

"You have nothing to make up for, Andy."

"I have and I think we both know. Letting my family believe we were a couple, blindsiding you, never mind the risk for your reputation if the rumour got around."

"You have considered the risk for my reputation?"

"Not at the time, Sharon, but obviously since. I know that could have damaged your reputation and your career and I'm glad it didn't, but that was through none of my own actions and I'm aware of that."

I had never expected Andy to be so prepared, to have put so much thought into all the little details of this. I was running out of arguments, but there was one good one left I hadn't yet tried.

"Wouldn't you miss your friends – and you and Louie? He is going to be so angry."

"He'll be mad enough, but he's got Patrice now. Who knows, he might transfer with me."

"I can't loose two of my top people!" The words were out of my mouth before I had time to consider just how selfish I sounded. Andy had offered to give up his job for me – and I was expecting him to give up his partner as well? But he seemed more amused than upset.

"I'm one of your top people? Really?"

"Yes, you are, both at work and at home! I'm sorry for being so callous. It's just that running Major Crimes without you is going to be hard enough to imagine and without Lt. Provenza, too?"

"I never said that this was going to be easy, sweetheart. You can take that as your part. I transfer, you deal with the consequences."

So there he had me. I wasn't sure whether Andy had thought this _all_ out before, but I had finally run out of arguments.

"You've got yourself a deal," I conceded. I had been so focussed on our conversation that I had forgotten we were still in each others arms and suddenly, it all hit me. I lifted myself up on my toes and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

"Gosh, Andy, this is so exciting! You and me!"

What a surprising turn of events this evening had taken. I had been so sure that I would be calling the shots, calling tonight a date, spending an evening of flirting and banter, touching and dancing … dancing! I stepped out of his embrace and pulled a confused looking Andy along with me.

"Come on, I've been looking forward to dancing with you again ever since we went to Nicole's wedding!"

Later, swaying in Andy's arms, my head resting in the crook of his neck, I had a chance to continue my thoughts. I had not expected Andy to be so prepared and so invested in us. I had not expected us to have the most difficult of all conversation tonight already – but we had, and it hadn't broken us apart. All of that, before we had even kissed.

Which is why, when cheers and wishes of a Happy New Year erupted around us, I lifted my head to look at Andy and his happy smile.

"Happy New Year, my darling Andy," I whispered and slowly pressed my lips to his.


End file.
